I'm not sure if this is worth it (sad rant)

[mondotomhead]

Myfester: Your coop and yard looks just like mine! That is a fabulous idea stringing the fishing line over the top. I noticed you also used CD's and other "decorations". I'll be buying a few hundred yards of fishing line this weekend and doing this same thing. Thanks so much for the pics!

Mandelyn: I am so sorry you had to see your hen being carried off. My personal nightmare is my little cochins being trapped in their coop with the two raccoons that killed them. I can't stop thinking about this....poor Chesney (*crying*). The other half of this nightmare is my DH had to shoot those raccoons while I hid in the house.

 

[Kaitie09]

You can get a 14'x14' pack of bird netting for about $5, and it would save you much more time than stringing fishing line. We added an extension onto our existing coop and we used it for the top. I just secured it with black zip ties, so it blended right in. It is small enough too that little birds won't be able to fly into the run to eat treats (we had that problem during the winter when food was scarce). I don't know how much you are willing to spend, but if you prowl CL you might be able to find a dog kennel for cheap, so you can expand your area. I found a 1yr old 10x10 kennel for $75, and it was still in perfect condition.

 

[mondotomhead]

Katie09:

I do have some deer netting I was going to use but I have a tree in the middle of the run and had no idea how to get around it. The fishing line would work around the tree and the deer netting in the "open" places.

Thank you all for your ideas. I'm feeling a little better. I see more bantam cochins in the future.......maybe as soon as this Saturday!

 

[Kaitie09]

Quote:
What you can do is cut the netting bigger than the run, and then cut a slit where the tree is. Run the netting up the tree a little, and use industrial staples to secure it. Then use the zip ties to close the part you cut. After everything is secured, just cut off the trim. I hope you can understand what I'm trying to explain, it is a little hard.

 

[r4eboxer]

I lost 4 chickens myself so I got these guys and am in the process of training them. In a year and a few months my chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and all my 4 legged stock will free range all the time (except roost time)

They sleep under my coop (within a run) right now and I feel like I really do have a fort knox coop.

Watchin over things

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

All my bantams are locked up, they don't seen to be as predator smart as my standard flock. I keep a few good roos with the hens and anytime I hawk or a raven comes around they all scatter under something for cover.

If you want to keep bantams without losing them to predators, keep them in a secure coop with a covered run. Its better then having a hawk eat them alive.

 

[annie3001]

so sorry your going thru a tough time with your chickens and predators. I almost lost a hen to a hawk a month ago or so. luckily she was too big and dropped her. Mine do free range but only when i am out there. I have a ton of tree cover, so that helps. could you build a bigger run. the hawks are really bad now, they are all hungry. Having larger chickens might be something for you to consider. We also have a rooster that alerts everyone. good luck.

 

[violetsky]

Quote:
I had the same thing happen with one of my favorite koi, except it was a great blue heron carrying it off. I got to look like a lunatic running around in my pajamas waving my hands in the air screaming. Unseen by neighbors was a very large great blue heron halfway up in a tree with a big kohaku named Bubbles still alive and flapping. The koi was too big to swallow right away and the heron couldnt fly far with it. I kept trying to get the heron to drop the koi but it just kept flying a little farther away with me climbing fences and screaming and waving my hands below. I slid way down the social ladder that day.

 

[mondotomhead]

Violetsky: That's a very funny image. No so the reason for it.

 

[Wolftalk]

I have the same exact problem as you. im going to build an additional run off of my small coop too. i am going to use pannels (most likely 3 or 4 of them) and arch them and put them in a frame...kinda hard to expain. like this: http://www.tractorsupply.com/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft--3502077 Hope that helped